Republican candidates talk ‘tough on China’ as Trump skips first debate
- Front runner and former president Donald Trump skips Fox News debate but releases pre-recorded interview where he takes aim at Biden over China
- Eight other candidates also eager to show they are not soft on China but offer little clarity
All eight of the candidates sharing the stage in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, were able to squeeze in at least one reference to China but did not expand beyond the general “tough on China” talking points shared by most Republican politicians.
It was apparent, however, that the candidates at the debate, hosted by Fox News, were eager to show that they were not soft on China, and that increasingly hawkish stances would continue to set the tone of the Republicans’ China policy.
However, right before the two-hour debate began, Trump released a pre-recorded interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, where he accused US President Joe Biden of taking bribes from Beijing and being “afraid to tell China to get out of Cuba”.
“We can’t let China be in Cuba,” Trump said, referring to reports about Beijing building military facilities in the country.
“I had a very good relationship with President Xi,” Trump continued. “He respected this country, he respected me. And he’ll get out.”